Take me away from time and season
by mangacrack
Summary: Sam keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, Gabriel eventually convinces him that's not going to happen.


****A./N.:**** written for enmuse over at Comment Fic. Title was provided by "Take me away" from "Globus"

* * *

><p>Gabriel raised his left eyebrow, when Sam walked into Singer's kitchen like he's expecting a battlefield. While Castiel's attempts to bake pie are certainly to watch out for, it isn't exactly a promise for harm.<p>

Or a reason for Sam's finger to twitch, like wants to pull Ruby's knife and have his way with the nearest demon. Which would be Crowley, who was trying to tease Bobby into oblivion using the old and boring topic: joining the _'I was brought back from the Dead'_ Club.

_But,_ Gabriel thought and nibbed at his XL chocolate bar, which probably could keep a normal human alive for a few month, _perhaps the "Stop This Nuisance"-Message by God hasn't reached Sam's brain yet. _

How Sam would manage that was a complete mystery him, since even his own ears were still ringing. Even more than Michael's or Lucifer's since God had been using him as a mouthpiece. Metatron was conveniently absent for this, but least it gave Gabriel an excuse for to hang around. And as long as Sam was still looking like he had seen an angry god he would continue to have one.

"Sam?", he asked and wasn't exactly surprised, when the Winchester's head flung around and pierced him with wide alarmed eyes. Obviously he hadn't seen Gabriel, but it had no small effect on the archangel, when he watched Sam actually relax as soon as he recognized him.

"Tea?", Gabriel offered softly and didn't even bother to snap, when Sam's strolled towards him.

With a tired sigh Sam positioned himself next to Gabriel on the couch, readjusting his aching legs after another fruitless attempt of uninterrupted sleep. While the hot, steaming mug was taken gratefully and Sam drank with a few gulps, the archangel watched closely. The brown hair now hid the tired eyes, but even the forced alertness couldn't fool Gabriel. Not when he was able to see who much Sam's mind was struggling for rest and had lost the battle again last night.

Sadly Gabriel could list a lot of reasons why the little Winchester's paranoia was still active as hell, when even the cautious older brother had finally given into his exhaustion. But while Dean was also plagued by fears, nightmares and memories, he never had to deal with an archangel walking through his dreams, forcing an already caffeine addicted insomniac to stay awake as long as he could manage without toppling over.

It was advised he simply waited for that finally to happen, so Gabriel could be there to catch Sam and put him to rest. He knew, using angelic sleep suggestion, could've disastrous results with a sandpapered mind like Sam's.

_I wonder how Castiel handled Dean-o, when he's baking pie in the middle of the night._

"So why are awake, Sammy?", Gabriel asked with earnest concern. "Since you should be upstairs. Sleeping in your bed."

Sam mumbled into his tea and Gabriel guessed meant something alongside of "can't".

He put his chocolate bar aside and gently touched Sam's cheek. The skin was hot and Gabriel could feel the fever beneath it.

"Only true sleep can help you heal, Sam", Gabriel explained, trying to caress unseen sorrows away.

"I don't know how", Sam whispered, after he finally leant into Gabriel cooling touch. "I hadn't a full nights sleep since I started to dream of Jess burning on the ceiling."

"Oh Sam...", he said, the voice full of concern and compassion.

Gabriel pulled the wreck in front of him closer. He pressed Sam's face into the crook of his neck and physical differences didn't matter in the next moment. Somehow Gabriel seemed bigger, made of light and love, with arms long enough to easily wrap them around Sam, who eventually broke out into tears.

The archangel welcomed the sobs and the desperate hug, took them as the long awaited sign of trust. When Sam ended up with his head lying in the angel's lab, stretched out on old shady couch,he began to drift off.

Buried in Gabriel's grace and feathers, Sam dreamed about heaven.


End file.
